Endlessly

It's far too late to be doing this (what am I doing up this late on a work night?) but I just wanted to get in a quick mention for "Endlessly", the second album from Welsh singer Duffy, which came out today. Got to support the Taffia you know!

Further details, video clips, pictures and what have you can all be found on her website here...

Duffy Official Website

Rock, Dust, Light, Star

This month also sees the welcome return of Jamiroquai with their new album "Rock Dust Light Star".

The track "White Knuckle Ride" made the Top 40 on download sales although it's apparently not the first "official" single from the album. The video looks like it was fun to do (although it's a bit boring to watch) but it's a cool song and it's great to hear that its still 1978 in Jay Kay's head! Fab.

Jamiroquai - White Knuckle Ride (Official Video)

Michael

The first of what I'm sure will be many posthumous Michael Jackson albums is released on December 14th. Entitled simply "Michael" it contains 10 tracks featuring collaborations with Akon, 50 Cent & Lenny Kravitz. The press release and full track listing can be found here:

Michael Jackson Album Release

Meanwhile a 3 DVD Box Set entitled "Vision" is released on 22nd November. The full length version of "Ghosts" would have made it truly definitive but otherwise this is as comprehensive a collection as it gets. Track listings is as follows:

Disc One
1.Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough 4:12

2 Rock With You 3:22
3 She's Out of My Life 3:35
4 Billie Jean 4:54
5 Beat It 4:57
6 Thriller (Full Length) 13:42
7 Bad (Full Length) 18:05
8 The Way You Make Me Feel 9:24
9 Man In the Mirror 5:03
10 Dirty Diana 5:05
11 Smooth Criminal 9:27
12 Another Part of Me 4:45
13 Speed Demon 10:08
14 Come Together 5:40
15 Leave Me Alone 4:36
16 Liberian Girl 5:34

Disc Two
1 Black or White 11:01
2 Remember The Time 9:16
3 In the Closet 6:05
4 Jam 7:59
5 Heal The World 7:32
6 Give In To Me 5:29
7 Who Is It 6:34
8 Will You Be There 5:55
9 Gone Too Soon 3:38
10 Scream 4:47
11 Childhood 4:29
12 You Are Not Alone 5:34
13 Earth Song 6:44
14 They Don't Care About Us 7:08
15 Stranger In Moscow 5:33
16 Blood On The Dancefloor 5:27
17 Ghosts 3:58
18 You Rock My World 13:30
19 Cry 4:57

Disc 3 (Extras)
1 Blame It On the Boogie - The Jacksons 3:32
2 Enjoy Yourself - The Jacksons 3:31
3 Can You Feel It - The Jacksons 9:37
4 Say Say Say - Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson 4:57
5 They Don't Care About Us - Prison version 4:52
6 Why? - 3T featuring Michael Jackson 4:33
7 One More Chance - previously unreleased 4:03

Tell Me Something New: Donkeyboy

Donkeyboy are a band from Drammen in Norway. They're not well known in this country but their debut single "Ambitions" was number one in Norway for 12 consecutive weeks. In fact it was only knocked off the top spot by the bands own follow up "Sometimes". It was the first time in the history of the Norwegan charts that a native band had occupied the top two positions.

Eagle eyed pop culture fans will have spotted that last year's X Factor winner Joe McElderry recently released a cover version of "Ambitions". A canny choice you have to admit.

This sounds like something straight out of the eighties, with a strong hook line and it's both happy and sad at the same time, as Scandanavian pop often is. Lookout too for guest vocals from teenager Linnea Dale - a star in the making I sincerely hope...

Donkeyboy - Ambitions (Promotional Video)

Gig Journal: October 2010

Looking back at this blog over the last year it's struck me how many gigs I've been to that I haven't mentioned on here. With this in mind I've decided to introduce an occasional feature to this blog - 'Gig Journal' - which will be a monthly roundup of what I've been up to, who I've seen along with a few pictures and some links to new and established acts that you might want to check out. Or not, as the case may be... 

Halloween night saw me in the bar at The O2 Academy in Birmingham with my friend Tony to see Lissie (pictured above). She's a talented young woman with a voice as clear as bell. She makes genuine, honest, unpretentious music that makes you want to simplify your head; strip away the emotional and situational baggage and live a less clutered life, preferably in America. Well, it does me anyway!

Support came from Ramona (pictured above) who list themselves as "unsigned" on their myspace site but appear to have released their debut single "How Long" regardless. They are clearly influenced by Blondie and The Ramones and, in truth, they come across better live than on record but both Tony and I enjoyed their set. One for further investigation then...

Ramona - How Long (video)

 

The week prior to this I was at Birmingham Town Hall with my friends Colin and Nigel to see the fabulous Marina And The Diamonds. This was the second time I had seen Marina this year. The first occasion was at  Birmingham Glee Club back in May - a venue she was already too big to play even then. Birmingham Town Hall was a much bigger and slicker operation however and playing to a much bigger audience. Marina is a unique talent and "The Family Jewels" is one of the albums of the year in my opinion. It's gratifying to witness her popularity growing as it is thoroughly deserved. 

Two clips to have a look at. The first is "Jealousy"; a "new" track performed at Birmingham Town Hall...

Marina & The Diamonds - Jealousy (Live At Birmingham Town Hall Oct 2010)

The second, because I didn't post anything on my blog back in May, is a clip from Birmingham Glee Club, taken very close to where I was standing! 

Marina & The Diamonds - Mowgli's Road (Live At Birmingham Glee Club May 2010)

The support for the Birmingham Town Hall gig came from Cocknbullkid. They were actually rather good and I've since added them as a friend on myspace. 

Cocknbullkid Myspace site  

The support at Birmingham Glee Club in May came from Spark, who is also my friend on myspace. She is about to release her debut single "Revolving" this month, which is worth checking out if you have a minute or two.  

Spark - Revolving (Official Video)   

Two days before the Marina gig I was feeling really low - so a trip to Wolverhampton Civic to see Jon Anderson & Rick Wakeman with my friend Dave was just what I needed. They performed some Yes classics that I knew and loved along with music from their new album "The Living Tree" which I bought on the night.

In mid October I was at The Robin2 in Bilston with Colin, Nige and Dave to see Midge Ure's acoustic tour. Support here came from local lad Pete Kent, a very talented fingerstyle guitarist from Wolverhampton. He's now my friend on myspace and posted "Thanks for the add Dave. Up the Wolves" in my comments so he's alright with me! Please check out his myspace site here:

Pete Kent Myspace Site 

On October 9th I was alone in deepest, darkest Digbeth to see Yoso at the Temple Bar at the HMV Institute. Yoso's line up includes Billy Sherwood (formerly of Yes), Tony Kaye (also formerly of Yes) and Bobby Kimball (ex Toto).

Their tour seems to have divided opinion. "Prog" magazine posted on facebook that they were "shockingly bad"; that Bobby Kimball could no longer hit the notes and that the band were triggering the backing vocals to cover his deficiencies. On Twitter two musicians I respect, Geoff Downes (Asia) and Matt Cohen (The Reasoning) both posted extemely positive comments. So who's right?

Well, I can see what Prog Magazine were driving at. There were a few occasions when Bobby Kimball went for the high notes but didn't get there, but to describe either him, or Yoso, as "shockingly bad" is well wide of the mark in my opinion. I thought they were excellent. Their pedigree as musicians is beyond dispute. Tony Kaye is still a class act. Billy Sherwood is a star. I'd only seen him as a second guitarist in Yes so to hear what a remarkably good bass player he is was a revalation. The line up of the band allowed them to plunder their back catalogue including "Owner Of A Lonely Heart", "Changes", "Rosanna", "Open Your Eyes", "Hold On" and "Africa". I got to stand two feet away from Bobby Kimball singing "Hold The Line" - c'mon how cool is that?!

The one thing I do have to say though, is that this gig was, quite comfortably, the worst attended that I've ever been to. I did a quick head count before the band came on - and there were 28 people there. It probably rose to the mid thirties during their set but no more. I couldn't help but think that if the gig were  held at a dedicated prog/rock venue, like The Robin2, then it would have been better publicised and more people might have turned up. The band would also have been allowed to perform their full set, instead of an abbreviated one to satisfy the demands of a venue that turns into a nightclub after 11 p.m. Yoso were great: not sure about the venue...
   
Which leads me to 7th October, when I was at The Robin2 with Colin and Dave to see Go West on their 25th Anniversary tour. Rather scarily I saw Go West all the way back in 1987 at Birmingham Odeon! Peter Cox is still a fine vocalist though and here's a clip from the show to prove it!

Go West - We Close Our Eyes (Live At Robin2 Bilston 2010)

Support act was girl group The Bon Bonz. Rather Sugarbabes-esque I thought but here's a short clip of their single "Ladyboy" from The Robin2 so you can judge for yourself.

The Bon Bonz - Ladyboy (Live At The Robin2 Bilston 2010)

Tell Me Something New: Dragonette

I didn't get chance to feature a new artist last month so, again, for November you're gonna get two!

First up is Canadian electro band Dragonette who consist of singer songwriter Martina Sorbara, Dan Kurtz and drummer Joel Stouffer. They released a their debut album "Galore" in 2007. The band have since written for Cyndi Lauper and followed this with their second album, "Fixin To Thrill", in 2009.

I rather like them and and I think they deserve wider recognition - so here you go...!

Jesus Doesn't Love Me (Official Video)

I Get Around (Official Video)

Dragonette My Space